Ask which credit card is best for earning travel rewards and you'll get a dozen different answers. Travel points writer View from the Wing argues the question itself is wrong: for most people the real answer is a pair of cards, each doing a different job.
The logic starts with understanding that a card can add value in three separate ways. There's the sign-up bonus — often 60,000 to 100,000 points — which is a reason to open a card but not to keep spending on it. There are perks like lounge access, free checked bags and priority boarding, which justify keeping a card but not putting everyday spending on it. And then there's the rebate on spending: the points you earn per dollar, and what those points are worth. Mixing these up is where most people lose value. The Amex Platinum, for instance, is packed with benefits but is a poor choice for anything other than airfare purchases.
For spending, the recommended setup is one card that earns a big multiplier in the categories you actually spend most in, plus a catch-all card earning at least two points per dollar on everything else — and ideally one with no annual fee. A common mistake is picking a specialist 'grocery card' and then earning a flat one point on the rest of your wallet.
A few pairings stand out. The Chase Ink Business Preferred, currently offering 100,000 bonus points after $8,000 of spend in three months, earns 3x on travel, shipping, phone and internet bills and advertising, and its points share transfer partners with the Sapphire Reserve. Crucially, points from no-annual-fee Chase cards like the Freedom Flex (3x on dining and drugstores, 5x in rotating quarterly categories) can be pooled into the Ink Preferred and moved to airline and hotel programs.
On the Citi side, the Strata Premier carries a $95 annual fee and earns 3x on groceries, dining, gas, EV charging, flights and hotels, with a 60,000-point bonus after $4,000 of spend. Its ThankYou points transfer to a wide range of partners including American Airlines AAdvantage, Turkish Miles & Smiles, Air France KLM Flying Blue and Accor hotels. Pairing it with the no-fee Citi Double Cash, which earns 2x on everything, covers the rest of your spending.
If you truly want one card and no juggling, the author's pick is the Bilt Palladium Card at $495 a year. It earns 2x on everyday spend with unusually generous mechanisms — including ways to stack up to 3x or more on rent and mortgage payments, a category most cards exclude — plus a $200 twice-yearly hotel credit and 50,000 bonus points after $4,000 of spend. Points are worth 1.25 cents through Bilt's travel portal and transfer to a strong partner list including Hyatt, United, Air Canada Aeroplan and British Airways. The main caveat: some payments, like taxes, earn nothing.
For holidaymakers, the takeaway is simple: match a card to your biggest spending category, add a solid catch-all, and use your perks card only for its perks. Done right, routine spending quietly funds next year's flights and hotels.
